Shinji Okazaki to leave Leicester City this summer
It looks like Shinji Okazaki’s wonderful time at Leicester City is going to come to a close very soon.
The Telegraph’s John Percy reports that the Japan international will be leaving the club when his contract expires at the end of the season.
The 33-year old now reportedly wants to move to Spain or Italy, having already played in Japan (Shimizu S-Pulse), Germany (VFB-Stuttgart and FSV Mainz 05) and, of course, England.
He might find his suitors in England, too, given the way he is still playing – whenever he gets the chance, that is.
Back in the January transfer window, Huddersfield Town were among a number of clubs that made an approach for Okazaki; however, Claude Puel decided against selling him at the time.
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Brendan Rodgers, on the other hand, has made his mind up on the former Mainz striker quickly.
Whichever club Okazaki chooses next is going to gain a lot of new fans from Leicester, that’s the kind of love and respect that he has been able to earn over the course of the last four years at the King Power Stadium.
He may have only scored 19 goals in 136 appearances for the Foxes, but the commitment, the dedication, the graft and the professionalism exhibited during that time has been priceless.
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Anyone with even a quarter of a brain and a half-decent memory would remember how vital Okazaki was in the title-winning campaign. He was here, there and everywhere whenever the team needed him, as can be said of the subsequent three seasons, too. Definitely a Leicester legend.